Houston Astros Boss Gives Vague Timeline For Injured Slugger’s Return

The Houston Astros are hoping to get their All-Star right fielder back in the lineup at some point, GM Dana Brown says.

Jul 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) and right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) look on as designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) waves to the crowd before the game against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros have put their early-season struggles behind them and after their series in Oakland hold the top spot in the American League West.

But, they can’t seem to get All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker back in the lineup.

He couldn’t participate in the All-Star Game earlier this month due to a right shin contusion. It was his third straight All-Star Game selection as a reserve.

The Astros are closing in on two months without Tucker, who suffered an injury that the Astros thought wouldn’t even require him to go to the 10-day injured list.

So, when is he coming back? That was the question Sports Talk 790-AM in Houston posed to general manager Dana Brown, who came on for his weekly radio show.

His answer was, well, not exactly specific.

"I'd be really disappointed if it was September but we're optimistic that it'll be before September,” he said.

That’s not exactly what Astros fans, or even Tucker’s teammates want to hear, in the midst of a race to win the AL West.

But, given how long this has taken, it may be as concrete as the Astros can get.

Before the All-Star break, Tucker talked with reporters and talked about small steps toward getting physically better.

“I can’t do everything normally right now, but every day it’s getting a little better where I can start moving around better,” Tucker said.

He also said that recent imaging of the injury didn’t reveal any damage.

Lately, Tucker’s rehab work has included baseball activities liked playing catch, hitting in the cage and non-baseball activities like running on a treadmill. But he hasn’t taken the big leap forward yet.

Tucker suffered the injury on June 3 when he fouled a baseball off the shin. At the time, the Astros were hopeful Tucker wouldn’t even have to go on the injured list. But a few days later he needed crutches to help keep weight off the injury and Houston put him on the 10-day IL.

When the 27-year-old right fielder went on the IL he was slashing .266/.395/.584/.979 with 19 home runs and 40 RBI. At the time his .979 OPS was fourth in the Majors behind Judge, Soto and Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna. He was second in the AL with 46 walks and third with a .584 slugging percentage. He also had more walks than strikeouts (41) at the plate.

Tucker was tracking as a sure-fire AL Most Valuable Player before the injury. The Astros’ first-round pick out of Tampa, Fla., in 2015 has been in the Top 20 of MVP voting each of the past three seasons, including fifth place last year.